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40 Things That Don’t Actually Make You Closed-Minded

Two people sitting on one side of the couch together looking somewhat annoyed. A third person is sitting on the opposite side of the couch with a slight smile and both arms extended.

I see you, social justice warriors.

I hear you, feminist killjoys.

This is for those who’ve been constantly told by white men to “just see the other side” (the side you’ve been force-fed your whole life), to be “accepting” of oppressive beliefs, or to “work together” with the Trump administration.

Who’ve been dumped for being too opinionated, who’ve hidden their passion for social justice around those they love.

This is for the women and non-binary folks who get called “stubborn” for speaking their minds, the people of color called “aggressive” for standing up for themselves, the survivors called “too sensitive” when they resist victim-blaming, and the disabled people called the “PC police” when they validate themselves.

This is for the activists who get advised to become more diplomatic, more accommodating, more “open to other perspectives.”

That isn’t advice. These are merely tactics to gaslight, derail, and mansplain.

There are plenty of behaviors in this world that make someone intolerant, judgmental, or closed-minded. These actions involve excluding people, kicking people while they’re down, and judging people based on superficial qualities.

These, on the other hand, only make you compassionate, fierce, and powerful, so don’t let anyone criticize them.

That’s why we have to consider the politics behind which voices get silenced and which get defended as “free speech.”

The people oppressed folks criticize love to say they’re “entitled to their opinion,” but what about our opinions? If our opinion is that they’re being oppressive, are we not entitled to it?

Don’t let people tell you what your motives are. You know whether you’re being adversarial or compassionate. You know whether you’re picking a fight or standing up for what’s right. You know whether you’re attacking someone or respectfully disagreeing.

Suzannah Weiss is a Contributing Writer for Everyday Feminism. She is a New York-based writer whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, Salon, Seventeen, BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post, Bustle, and more. She holds degrees in Gender and Sexuality Studies, Modern Culture and Media, and Cognitive Neuroscience from Brown University. You can follow her on Twitter @suzannahweiss. Read her articles here.